Worldwide traditional sources of protein, nutritional fatty acids, and petroleum oil are being depleted as the population and consumer demand increases. Algae (e.g., microalgae) is a renewable source with potential from traditional sources to produce biochemically active substances (e.g., lipids, proteins, polysaccharides) that can be used in whole cell and extract product forms to produce food, agricultural additives, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, specialty chemicals, and biofuels, as well as various other co-products (e.g., carotenoids, chlorophyll, phycocyanin, etc.) providing natural colorants and antioxidants. Algae also can be suitable as a replacement feedstock for traditional sources due to a variety of factors, including algae's high per-acre productivity compared to other terrestrial plants, algae's availability as a non-fish-based feedstock resources in places where the fish meal is becoming a scarce commodity, algae's ability to be grown on otherwise non-productive or non-arable land, and algae's ability to use a wide variety of water sources (fresh, brackish, saline, and wastewater). Realizing the potential for algae as a replacement resource can depend on the ability to culture the algae in reliable bioreactor systems capable of repeatedly producing high culture densities, high productivity rates, and high quality biomass (e.g., desirable profiles of biochemically active substances, low concentrations of contamination, etc.).
Accordingly, improved systems and methods for vitally supporting organisms (e.g., algae) able to produce biochemically active substances are desirable for their promise in satisfying future nutritional, agricultural, chemical, and energy needs in a clean, innocuous, sustainable, and/or cost effective manner.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements or signals, electrically, mechanically and/or otherwise. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled but not be mechanically or otherwise coupled; two or more mechanical elements may be mechanically coupled, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled; two or more electrical elements may be mechanically coupled, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant.
“Electrical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include coupling involving any electrical signal, whether a power signal, a data signal, and/or other types or combinations of electrical signals. “Mechanical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include mechanical coupling of all types.
The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.